HP EliteBook 13.3" 830 G8 2021, Core i5-1145G7, 16GB, 256GB SSD, Silver

The HP EliteBook 830 G8 is a used business convertible that nails portability with a 93rd percentile compact score and a 1.35kg weight. You get 16GB of RAM, Thunderbolt, and a touchscreen for as little as 658 USD on Newegg. The catch is a dated Core i5-1145G7 CPU, a small 256GB SSD, and nearly zero gaming ability. It's a great budget travel laptop if you can live with the compromises.

Let's talk about the Core i5-1145G7. It's a 4-core, 8-thread chip from Intel's Tiger Lake family, running at 2.6GHz base. In our database, it lands in the 22nd percentile for CPUs, which means it's well behind the current crop of chips. For everyday tasks like email, web browsing, Office apps, and video calls, it's perfectly fine. You won't feel like you're waiting around. But throw a heavy spreadsheet with a few thousand rows or a big Photoshop file at it, and you'll notice the fan spin up and things get a little sluggish. This is a 2021-era processor, and it shows.

The integrated Iris Xe graphics are actually the more respectable part of the package. They sit in the 49th percentile, which is about average for integrated GPUs. That means light photo editing, streaming 4K video, and even some very casual gaming at low settings will work. Don't expect to play anything demanding. The gaming score is a 6.5 out of 100, which is about as close to zero as you can get without being a literal potato. The 16GB of RAM is a nice touch for a used machine at this price, and it helps with multitasking. The 256GB SSD is the weak link. It's in the 25th percentile, and 256GB fills up fast with Windows 11 Pro, a few apps, and some local files. You'll probably want an external drive or cloud storage.

The obvious comparison is the Apple MacBook Pro M5. That machine is in a completely different league for performance, battery life, and screen quality. But it also costs a lot more. If you're budget-constrained and need Windows, the EliteBook makes sense. If you can stretch your budget and don't mind macOS, the MacBook is the better long-term investment. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is another strong alternative. It's newer, has a better screen, and a more modern ARM-based chip. But again, you're paying more.

On the Windows side, the Lenovo Legion 5i is a gaming laptop that absolutely destroys the EliteBook in GPU performance. But it's also bigger, heavier, and not a convertible. The MSI Prestige and ASUS ProArt are creator-focused machines with better screens and CPUs, but they're also pricier and less portable. The EliteBook's real competition is other used business laptops. A used ThinkPad X1 Carbon or Dell Latitude 7420 from the same era would be a similar experience. The HP's advantage is the convertible hinge and the touchscreen, which those machines sometimes lack.

Here's where things get interesting. The EliteBook 830 G8 is listed on Newegg in the US for anywhere from 658 to 930 USD. That's a 272 USD spread depending on condition and seller. The cheaper listings are for "Used - Acceptable" units with a Spanish keyboard, while the higher end is "Used - Good" with a warranty. If you're comfortable with a Spanish keyboard layout, you can save a chunk of change. If you need a standard US layout, you'll pay more.

For 658 USD, you're getting a convertible business laptop with 16GB of RAM, Thunderbolt, and a touchscreen. That's genuinely hard to beat. At 930 USD, the value proposition gets shakier. You're creeping into territory where you could find a newer machine with a better CPU and more storage. The sweet spot is probably the lower end of that range, assuming you can live with the keyboard layout and the cosmetic wear that comes with an "Acceptable" grade.

The HP EliteBook 830 G8 is a business convertible that's been around the block, and that's kind of the point. You're not buying this thing new from HP's site with a fresh warranty and a bow on it. You're grabbing it used from a place like Newegg, where it's floating around in the 658 to 930 USD range depending on condition and whether you get a Spanish keyboard. It's a 13.3-inch 2-in-1 with a touchscreen, a Core i5-1145G7, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB NVMe SSD. Nothing flashy, but the bones are solid.

Who's this for? Someone who needs a compact, durable laptop for work or school and doesn't want to spend MacBook money. The compact score in our database is a 67.4 out of 100, which lands it in the 93rd percentile for this category. That's the headline here. This thing is small, light at 1.35kg, and easy to toss in a bag. The convertible hinge means you can flip it into a tent for presentations or tablet mode for reading. It's a practical machine, not a statement piece.

What makes it interesting is the price-to-portability ratio. You're getting a real business laptop with Thunderbolt, Ethernet, HDMI, and a backlit keyboard for well under a grand. The trade-off is that the internals are mid-tier at best. The CPU sits in the 22nd percentile, the GPU in the 49th, and storage in the 25th. So it's a great travel companion, but it won't win any races. If you need a cheap, portable workhorse and you're okay with used gear, this is worth a look.

If you need to run demanding software like video editing, 3D modeling, or modern games, skip this. The CPU is in the 22nd percentile and the GPU is integrated, so you'll be frustrated. Look at a used gaming laptop like the Lenovo Legion 5i or a newer ultrabook with a more recent processor. If you need a lot of local storage, the 256GB SSD will drive you crazy. You'd be better off with something that has a 512GB or 1TB drive, or at least budget for an immediate upgrade.

Also skip this if you're sensitive to screen quality. The display is a basic 1080p IPS panel in the 41st percentile. It's fine for documents and spreadsheets, but if you watch a lot of video or do photo work, you'll notice the washed-out colors and limited brightness. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition or a MacBook Air would be a much better fit for that use case, though at a higher price.

If you need a cheap, portable Windows laptop for basic work, school, or travel, the EliteBook 830 G8 is a solid buy at the lower end of its used price range. The 16GB of RAM and Thunderbolt support give it some longevity, and the convertible design adds flexibility. Just don't expect it to be fast. The CPU is old, the storage is small, and the screen is nothing special. It's a tool, not a toy.

For students, the 50.3 out of 100 score reflects the trade-offs. It's light enough to carry all day, but the battery life is unknown, and the screen isn't great for long reading sessions. For business users, the 47.9 score is a bit harsh, but it reflects the dated internals. If your work is mostly cloud-based and you value portability over raw power, this could work. If you need to run demanding local apps, look elsewhere.